Leave Crete and come to this holy temple

where the pleasant grove of apple trees

circles an altar smoking with frankincense.

 

Here roses leave shadow on the ground

and cold springs babble through apple branches

where shuddering leaves pour down profound sleep.

 

In our meadow where horses graze

and wild flowers of spring blossom,

anise shoots fill the air with aroma.

 

And here, Queen Aphrodite, pour

heavenly nectar into gold cups

and fill them gracefully with sudden joy.

Sappho

translated by Willis Barnstone

This poem is a beautiful paean to the feminine energy of life and is spoken as a lover to his or her beloved, the font of joy.

I had my own encounter with the energy of Aphrodite many years ago. I was in my mid-40’s and going through the transition of menopause. My procreative powers were waning and I was entering a new and uncharted phase of life. Suddenly, the energy of Aphrodite entered my psyche and I had an experience of the Divine Feminine. An extraordinary period of creativity followed. Poetry, filled with the joy of being alive, poured out of me for many weeks. The creative spirit that had earlier been directed to procreation and manifestation on the physical level was now transformed and channeled into the spiritual. It changed my life forever.

Sappho (630 – 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbo. She was a prolific poet, composing around 10 thousand lines, although most is now lost. In ancient times Sappho was widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets. Her poetry is still considered extraordinary and she continues to influence other writers.

Aphrodite was a Greek goddess related to the earlier near Eastern goddesses, Astarte, Ishtar and Inanna. She was associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation; her main festival was Aphrodisia which was celebrated in midsummer.